Nursing Administration Applications of Informatics

Study Notes

Applications of Nursing Informatics in Nursing Administration

Nursing informatics has many applications in practice, education, administration, and research.
Key learning objectives for applications include identifying, management information system, automated staff scheduling, electronic reporting, and computerized physical resources management.
Nursing administration and management functions include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling.
MIS (Management Information Systems) use computers/technologies to collect, store, retrieve, and process info used by managers in their duties.
Applications of Nursing Informatics in Nursing Administration include: Management Information Systems (MIS), Automated staff scheduling, Electronic reporting, and Computerized Physical Resources Management.
Additional applications in nursing administration include: Patient classification, Nursing workload, Unit staffing, Email for improved communication, Cost analysis & trends for budget purposes, Quality assurance & outcomes analysis, and Nursing office automation.
Types of management information systems create reports, extract data, and assist all levels of managers in decision making.
Decision support systems (DSS) are computer programs used by middle and higher management to compile information from diverse sources.
These DSS support problem-solving and decision-making in active and passive modes.
Executive information systems (EIS) provide quick access to summarized reports from all hospital levels and departments (accounting, human resources, operations).
Marketing information systems are management systems specific for managing marketing aspects of the hospital.
Accounting information systems focus on accounting functions.
Human resource management systems manage personnel aspects in nursing. Management of people on a nursing unit is a complex, time-consuming task.

Automated Scheduling

Automated scheduling uses computer systems to plan and organize employee working hours/days and is a highly-desired component of a nursing administration management information system.
Automated scheduling simplifies nurse scheduling by automating shift schedules, tracking staff availability, and facilitating efficient shift exchanges.
Advantages of automated scheduling include more effective utilization of personnel, documenting the effect of staff size on quality of care, and relating quantity and quality of nursing staff to patient acuity.

Electronic Reporting

Electronic reporting uses computer systems to inform/report/communicate incidents and critical patient values among healthcare providers.
Electronic reporting uses computerized nursing assignments, patient shift reports, and hand-offs.
Electronic reporting also involves sharing data and developing knowledge of clinical staff at all levels.

Computerized Physical Resources Management

Computerized physical resource management ensures the correct physical resources are in the right place, at the right time, to allow the hospital to proceed as planned.
Computerized physical resource management involves purchasing equipment/supplies, inventory management (including barcode systems), and periodical maintenance.